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- One post a day minimum is ideal. Doesn't have to be a good post, just keep the ball moving. Three days is the upper limit unless you have a reason.

Feel free to exchange as many IC posts as you want without my input. I'll keep conversations, small talk and minor events going even if only one person is online, but nothing important or any scene transitions will happen without everyone getting a chance to weigh in. I will do my best to make sure no one gets left behind.

If the group splits up, each thread will happen at it's own rate until the group re-unites. For players waiting for others to 'catch up', it's easy to kill time in a PBP with conversation.

- No buying Wyrd with merit dots. Completely skews the XP scale
- No fighting styles. They make the game break in unpredictable ways.
- Willpower does not regain through rest. The only way to regain willpower is through indulging your virtue or your vice in a way that harms your interests. WoD is in many ways a game about screwing yourself over.
- If you lose Clarity in the course of play through a degeneration roll, you will automatically receive 5xp. This XP will be for you alone and is the one time XP is not shared amongst the group. This means there's no additional incentive for dropping Clarity during character generation.

Note that if you buy merits that require social connections in reality that you wouldn't have had time to acquire, having just emerged from Arcadia, don't worry. If you write the dots on your sheet I'll treat them like a 'wish list' of things that will come to your character relatively quickly in the course of play. This covers resources, status, connections, etc.

Posting Format:

Any die that comes up a number from one to seven is a traitor to your cause and doesn't count toward success. We call those dice cowards.

The World of Darkness rules set operates under the following baseline assumptions
- One success on a roll achieves success at any proposed task
- Five successes result in an 'exceptional success', which gives greater benefits
- Penalties and bonuses will be applied before the dice roll is made.

This is a bit difficult for an online game because it means that you can't roll unilaterally. That's as much a feature as a bug, though, so it stays. When you intend to make something a contest, include at the bottom of your post a box like

[I want to use Presence+Persuasion to convince the man to step aside, my dice pool is 6, 7 with the Striking Looks merit].

I'll respond with a post along the lines of [Given the ridiculous nature of your outfit, -2 penalty to the roll]. Only then do you roll the dice; if you achieve a success feel free to narrate the nature of your victory (within reason).

Also note that once you've committed to an action, you can't back out if the penalties are higher than you'd expect. If you spend a little while talking to a guard and get his measure you might be able to make an assessment of how bad the penalty would be, but you might not always have the luxury of time.

I trust you to be honest with your dice rolls. No online rollers are necessary.

Similarly, feel free to constantly ask OOC questions in the main thread. Information is power, and asking is free. In general, you can assume the world is as it appears to be - buildings have electricity, doors are made out of wood, and there'll be cars passing by on the street. You can also get a lot of free information without making rolls based on your character sheet - someone with politics 4 will just get free political information if they ask, no roll necessary.

XP:

XP will be provided every time the party rests at the end of a day.

You will get XP every time
- You do something dangerous
- Your Flaw (not your Vice) screws you over, if you have one.
- You finish a story

You will also get additional XP based on finishing scenes, overcoming challenges, or exceptional roleplaying. All XP is shared. All PCs should have the same total at all times.

You cannot spend XP on external merits - resources, status, mantle, tokens, anything that isn't a trait or skill of your character - can't be purchased with XP. These merits then exist in narrative terms, rising and falling based on what happens in the story. Internal Merits - like striking looks or whatever - can be purchased freely if it makes sense.

Arcane XP can only be spent on Wyrd. You gain Arcane XP every time you encounter some supernatural event you've never seen before (meeting a werewolf, comparing notes on Arcadia with another changeling, reading a book of occult lore). Track your Arcane XP separately from regular XP (you can spend regular XP on Wyrd raises).

Arcane XP is an artifact of the Mage system that I'm adopting for all my games, it's a great mechanic to encourage curiosity.

Music:

I always like to provide a playlist to go with the game's inspirations and themes, and the key pieces for this story were easy to pick. The common theme is tragic beauty.

(Disclaimer: World of Darkness geopolitics have little bearing on our geopolitics)

The year is 2015, and the World of Darkness is doing fine.

North America had a Republican victory in the 2012 elections, and promptly slashed the tax rate to 9% across the board. The Federal Government is on the brink of bankruptcy, but the economy has righted itself and unemployment is shrinking rapidly.

The Euro crisis is worsening, but a charismatic leader calling herself Charlemagne has united Europe’s right and has proposed a Federal European Government. Her popularity is rising meteorically, and before long the nations of Europe may have no choice but to accept her demands.

Russia’s President/Prime Minister, Vladamir Putin, has put aside his constitutional games of bouncing between high office and restored the monarchy and crowned himself Tzar Vladamir Putin I. Russia is now a Constitutional Monarchy, long live the King.

Pakistan suffered a nuclear disaster where one of it’s unstable nuclear warheads exploded in Islamabad, killing millions. It launched a retaliatory nuclear strike against India – which barely got off the ground. Every single missile malfunctioned and fell out of the sky, disabled by an American military satellite. America has tersely admitted that it has the capability to disable nuclear missiles from space, which has caused widespread concern in the geopolitical arena. India is currently occupying Pakistan.

A Brazilian R&D company, named Solutions, has announced it’s mission statement to “Provide solutions to all the world’s problems by 2075”. And at the current rate of progress, they’re on the way to achieving it. Solutions has been behind almost every major technological advance for the past five years, successfully curing lung cancer, cloning a human being, and developing an advanced geothermal plant design. No document is quite as globally anticipated as the Solutions Annual Technological Report. They aggressively expand, buying R&D companies globally.

And Africa, well. Have you ever been to Africa? Do you know anyone who’s ever been to Africa? Have you ever heard any news out of Africa which wasn’t about violence, famine, disease and death? Do you have any reason to possibly visit Africa? You don’t. Nobody does. Which begs the question – does Africa actually exist? And what’s in that space if it doesn’t?

Australia maintains the delusion that it is important.

As of 2020:

Spoiler

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The United States of America has maintained it's position as foremost global military power, and it's hard power has only grown since Pakistan. With increasing confidence, the United States made a series of military interventions overseas, all of which had excellent returns and were, in many ways, 'ideal wars'. Most recent of these was a land invasion of North Korea during the middle of a military coup, which resulted in a complete defeat for the communists within two years and the beginning of a re-integration with South Korea. China ranted and gnashed it's teeth but, with the United States Skyfall Nuclear Missile Defense, they were unable to do more than that.

Global politics have fallen entirely in favour of the USA as a result of this new balance of power. Tinpot dictators hurriedly make concessions to free trade, human rights and democracy so they do not draw the ire of the Eagle.

Domestically, the picture is somewhat more bleak for the States. Lowered taxes, slashed services, and technological development have lead to a much, much larger gap between the wealthy and the poor. The USA is becoming a nation of extremes, of highest luxury and of deepest poverty.

Europe, however, has taken a different tack. The European Union unified in 2018 under a charismatic ruler calling herself Charlemagne, following the expulsion of several members such as Greece and Ireland. This was followed by a series of invasions and occupations as the EU took steps to ensure that the debtor nations would be unable to simply walk from their obligation. Ireland, Greece and Portugal are currently under military occupation, in what has been called the most bureaucratic series of wars in human history. Human rights are respected, the insurgency is carefully managed, and the campaigns have the implicit blessing of the USA.

Turkey is finalising talks to join the EU, and negotiations are also being held with several Middle Eastern democracies. The Union seems to have expansion in mind. Domestically, the EU is both wealthy and has a powerful social security network, making it an excellent place to live.

Russia, under Tzar Putin, has made great strides. The economy is fat from the resource boom, and the standard of living is rising across the board. Domestic unrest seems under control, too - as long as prosperity is rising, people aren't inclined to complain too much. For his part, Putin has become almost a caricature of himself, walking around town in foreign countries without so much as a security detail and rescuing lost orphans from bears.

India has formally annexed Pakistan, and is otherwise tied up in the integration and counter-insurgency.

In counter to the unquestionable hard power of the USA, China has focused more on it's soft power - culture and trade. It's hard to know the truth, with lies and misleading statistics being what they are, but China has become an influential and rich nation, and condemns the military campaigning of the USA.

Solutions has expanded dramatically, somehow making the right decision at every turn, and made it's way to be one of the top ten economic entities in the entire world. It has branches worldwide, owns thousands of universities, schools and research labs, and is almost single-handedly responsible for every major technological development over the past ten years. It's holding true to it's goal of providing solutions to all the world's problems by 2075.

No one has been to Africa recently. Some people say they have, but they haven't; not really.

Australia managed to win some sporting events and feels pretty chuffed about it.

In general, the world is in a boom market and big upswing. Pundits are predicting that a crash is coming, and it's going to be terrible.

Topics for Discussion:

This game is going to start a matter of hours after the three player characters have emerged together from the Hedge, following your first escape from Arcadia. You'll have had met each other in the Hedge on your way out, but spent no more than a few days together.

However, given the lack of an external source inflicting party cohesion on you guys, your characters need a legitimate reason to stay together rather than drifting off in opposite directions the moment you emerge into reality. And I'd personally quite like it if the party had this strength because they were actual friends and genuinely liked each other. You don't have to get along all the time, but you have to be a coherent group.

I also completely do not trust this to happen organically, so I'd very much like you to work out your party dynamic before the game starts. What do your characters think of the others, and how do they interact?

Last edited by Thanqol; 2012-05-29 at 06:48 PM.

Sometimes a Crusade is when the Pope calls every king in Europe to take back the holy land, others it's a mob of delusional children who end up on the slave market.

Re: Waiting for Rain: OOC

Ooh! Shiny new OOC thread...color me excited!

Hmm, so thoughts and such in sort of an order then:

The Good - I've more or less read through the relevant books by now, so at least from a mechanical standpoint I kind of know where things are. Also, there are some features about WoD that I think I may really like, depending on how they work out in play. Might also translate over an old D&D character, just to see how the transition goes...

The Indifferent - As I at least alluded to in the ponythread, I'm going out of town for a week starting tomorrow, and chances are fairly good that I'll be kind of scarce around here and the other GitP threads during that time. Of course, since we're still in the planning phase, I don't think it'll be terrible, but if I seem to have gone silent, that's probably what's up.

The Not-So-Good - I've got some elements of a character idea bouncing around in my head, but it's not really gelled yet. I'm still at the point where I feel like decision making for him would be arbitrary, and I don't think I have him fleshed out enough to figure out how he should interact with other characters, notably the other PCs. The character building stuff Thanqol posted in ponythread has been helpful, but I haven't been able to get far into it yet...maybe I'll play around with it some more tonight after I draw.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to this, and hopefully I can sneak some internet over the next few days

This Machine Surrounds Hate And Forces It To Surrender

Originally Posted by Anarion

DD, your unicorn is stronger, prettier, and higher-ranking than mine, and her secret lab has a better name than mine. THERE SHALL BE NO QUARTER.

Re: Waiting for Rain: OOC

Well, some further good news is that thanks to the excellent BlasTech and some time on the IRC, I think I'm closing in on an ideal for the character. Right now, it's "A world without hunters" although it needs a bit more - in particular, how to go about reaching that ideal world, since means as much as end will color the character. I think I have an idea about the means, but I want to bounce it around some more in my head...still, progress is progress...

This Machine Surrounds Hate And Forces It To Surrender

Originally Posted by Anarion

DD, your unicorn is stronger, prettier, and higher-ranking than mine, and her secret lab has a better name than mine. THERE SHALL BE NO QUARTER.

Re: Waiting for Rain: OOC

I haven't fully read the material yet - so many things to do right now - but I do have a fairly solid foundation for my character, if not spelled out in detail.

I suppose I should let my fellow players know roughly where I'm going (not much new for Thanqol, sorry). Feel free to offer thoughts and suggestions, and reasons for her to stick around with your characters. I'll try to think of something myself too.

Spoiler

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My character is a darkling mirrorskin, she goes by the name Charlene Pierce, a name she picked for herself from fragmentary memories. A new name, new identity. It probably wasn't her original name, though it's likely to have some similarities. It's also not what her keeper called her (haven't decided on that one, but probably some animal name, maybe Fox...)

Before her capture, she had just begun training in the police or some similar law enforcement (I'm not sure which is most appropriate, I'm not too familiar with the various US law enforcement agencies and their relations). Her father was a US Marshal working in witness protection, and Charlene always wanted to follow in similar steps. During a training exercise in some remote forest she somehow slipped through into the Hedge by some freak accident, and there she was captured by a Fae hunter.

Her "purpose" was to be prey. Her keeper performed extensive surgeries on her, then let her "escape" only to be hunted down, dragged back, operated upon again and let go, repeating the circle. Eventually she makes it far enough and escapes the hedge, though she's certainly not going to feel safe there either.

She's probably gone through countless appearances during her stay in Faery. Her fae mien is that of a mostly normal human physique, but pretty much all scars and no real face as if her keeper forgot to give her a new appearance this time. I haven't decided if she should have some additional freak alterations, like left-over pieces from previous appearances or something.

She's deeply paranoid, feeling hunted, and she's lost all sense of identity. She sees herself in every face, she doesn't remember anything from her former life except broken fragments that are of little use. Even her training is... rusty, the most innate is still there, but she's definitely forgotten a lot of what she used to know.

She's going to fit in well in the Winter Court, which will probably be a priority for her. She's going to seek a new life, a new identity among changelings because I doubt she'd feel well among mortals. She's hunted, so she's going to "relocate" herself and create a network to protect her.

At the same time she's going to be somewhat Summer. She's not just out to protect herself, but all who are hunted, whether changeling or mortal, and while she'll work from hiding and through guile rather than strength she'll try to be proactive about it. She'll probably end up with some Goodwill in the Summer Court, despite definitely belonging in the Winter Court.

I've given her the virtue of Fortitude, but I'm really not sure about vice... I've tentatively picked Lust, but I have no clue what she lusts for. Should be something interesting and different, I think. Maybe it'll become clear as I work on the details.

Re: Waiting for Rain: OOC

The NPC list for this game is partially written and, gosh, that process was fun.

Originally Posted by the_druid_droid

Well, some further good news is that thanks to the excellent BlasTech and some time on the IRC, I think I'm closing in on an ideal for the character. Right now, it's "A world without hunters" although it needs a bit more - in particular, how to go about reaching that ideal world, since means as much as end will color the character. I think I have an idea about the means, but I want to bounce it around some more in my head...still, progress is progress...

The hunt seems to be a very powerful naturally occurring theme for this group. Remember, though, that one of the major trials that a Changeling has to go through is learning to integrate with the real world, because the fast-paced action-packed Arcadian lifestyle is over - you should consider how your Ideal connects with reality.

(Alternately, finding out and breaking the contract that gives the Fair Folk the right to take humans if you're feeling particularly crazy)

Originally Posted by Deadly

Yay indeed

Are we going to be just the four of us?

Yes indeed. Five is too many for a PBP. One person will invariably suffer delays at any given moment that then holds up everyone else. That, and I've acquired quite a fondness for smaller games.

Before her capture, she had just begun training in the police or some similar law enforcement (I'm not sure which is most appropriate, I'm not too familiar with the various US law enforcement agencies and their relations).

Federal: Authority to cross state boundaries and investigate international crimes, the FBI and all the other alphabet agencies operate at this level.
State: State-wide branches of the police, often in charge of highways, water and land, guards around politicians.
County: Local sheriff's office and municipal beat police.

Re: Waiting for Rain: OOC

Originally Posted by Thanqol

Federal: Authority to cross state boundaries and investigate international crimes, the FBI and all the other alphabet agencies operate at this level.
State: State-wide branches of the police, often in charge of highways, water and land, guards around politicians.
County: Local sheriff's office and municipal beat police.

I'm mostly unsure where it would be natural for her to start. She's definitely aiming for federal, most likely US Marshals like her father, but someone with that aim might well start out as a regular police recruit in some county or state, right? She's only just begun her training, after all.

Originally Posted by Thanqol

I've got a story about a Changeling Fox (which I'm keeping for Raz once he's doing better)

Re: Waiting for Rain: OOC

Some thoughts from the plane ride:

Spoiler

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I think the question of relevance to the mortal world is tied up in the question of means. This is also where I think my character begins to differ from Deadly's, although the hunt is a very important image for us both. After further consideration, I think a more precise statement of the ideal is "to make a world where victimization is impossible". Specifically this happens by changing both the environment and those who would be victims or victimizers. From this I get a couple of things off the bat: the character has got the flavor of activist, his Virtue is Hope, he's a big fan of the ideology behind Solution's work, and he really wouldn't like the economic and social divide growing in the US. Also I would say that he and Deadly's character would get along - they both know what it is to be prey, but in his mind, law-enforcement is doomed to only treat symptoms, which might be an interesting source of conflict.

I'm still not 100% on his flawed ideal but I think it might be the temptation to impatience in wanting to see things change NOW. Additionally, depending on circumstances, he might actually get to a point that's crazy enough to want to target that Fae contract...

Anyway, I'm interested in what everyone thinks.

This Machine Surrounds Hate And Forces It To Surrender

Originally Posted by Anarion

DD, your unicorn is stronger, prettier, and higher-ranking than mine, and her secret lab has a better name than mine. THERE SHALL BE NO QUARTER.

Re: Waiting for Rain: OOC

Originally Posted by Deadly

I'm mostly unsure where it would be natural for her to start. She's definitely aiming for federal, most likely US Marshals like her father, but someone with that aim might well start out as a regular police recruit in some county or state, right? She's only just begun her training, after all.

That actually depends on your level of education! People who perform well academically often get recruited directly into the FBI or other 'white collar' agencies, so that means you likely got a university degree before beginning training. The Marshals are a federal level organisation but that doesn't mean they're much harder to get into than other forces (remember: federal doesn't outrank municipal, they've just got broader jurisdiction).

I'm also reasonably sure that transferring between departments is relatively uncommon. The Marshals do have an absolute bottom floor department (prisoner operations) which I doubt has very stringent requirements. These organisations, like most government organisations, prefer to recruit and promote internally rather than poaching external talent.

Originally Posted by the_druid_droid

Some thoughts from the plane ride:

Spoiler

Show

I think the question of relevance to the mortal world is tied up in the question of means. This is also where I think my character begins to differ from Deadly's, although the hunt is a very important image for us both. After further consideration, I think a more precise statement of the ideal is "to make a world where victimization is impossible". Specifically this happens by changing both the environment and those who would be victims or victimizers. From this I get a couple of things off the bat: the character has got the flavor of activist, his Virtue is Hope, he's a big fan of the ideology behind Solution's work, and he really wouldn't like the economic and social divide growing in the US. Also I would say that he and Deadly's character would get along - they both know what it is to be prey, but in his mind, law-enforcement is doomed to only treat symptoms, which might be an interesting source of conflict.

I'm still not 100% on his flawed ideal but I think it might be the temptation to impatience in wanting to see things change NOW. Additionally, depending on circumstances, he might actually get to a point that's crazy enough to want to target that Fae contract...

Anyway, I'm interested in what everyone thinks.

Ooo, that's a nice set of ideas. Remember, Solutions regards political, social and legal reform as part of it's mandate, just as much as technological innovation.

Sometimes a Crusade is when the Pope calls every king in Europe to take back the holy land, others it's a mob of delusional children who end up on the slave market.

Re: Waiting for Rain: OOC

Oh, I definitely realize Solution's mission statement is broad. My character (note: he needs a name, this is getting cumbersome to type on my phone...) wouldn't care too much for them if they were only interested in tech. It's their vision of fixing Problems and not just business problems that would attract him.

Nothing else on the flaw, etc yet. I'm still too braindead from travel.

This Machine Surrounds Hate And Forces It To Surrender

Originally Posted by Anarion

DD, your unicorn is stronger, prettier, and higher-ranking than mine, and her secret lab has a better name than mine. THERE SHALL BE NO QUARTER.

Re: Waiting for Rain: OOC

I'm looking at the Hollow merit and thinking it fits well with the hunted fox theme I'm kinda going for. Are hollows allowed and are there any special rules or considerations for them in this game? I'm thinking a small, unfurnished cave in the hedge with more than one door (escape routes). Probably 3 dots total, 1 in size, 2 in doors at the start of the game, possibly to be expanded during play maybe. I'm thinking it might be a good group thing, though I suspect she'd be hesitant to reveal it to others.

Originally Posted by Thanqol

That actually depends on your level of education! People who perform well academically often get recruited directly into the FBI or other 'white collar' agencies, so that means you likely got a university degree before beginning training. The Marshals are a federal level organisation but that doesn't mean they're much harder to get into than other forces (remember: federal doesn't outrank municipal, they've just got broader jurisdiction).

I'm also reasonably sure that transferring between departments is relatively uncommon. The Marshals do have an absolute bottom floor department (prisoner operations) which I doubt has very stringent requirements. These organisations, like most government organisations, prefer to recruit and promote internally rather than poaching external talent.

Academic training sounds like a good idea. Having studied law would be the most obvious, I'm sure, but I need to get a better feel for the character's past to decide this.

I'm thinking she was a little wild as a mortal, an adrenalin junkie (her vice of Lust comes in here, she always had a lust for speed and action). However, after her durance she became prone to sorrow and depression. Aside from losing her identity, or perhaps because of it, the world seems empty and flat. Those moments when the adrenalin is pumping become her anchor to the real world and her past, it reminds her of being human. The hunt became addicting. At the same time she resists it, because she doesn't belong among humans anymore.

She's really turning out to be an odd darkling.

I'm kinda tired right now and I'm just sort of messing around with various options. Nothing definitive here, just throwing out some tentative ideas I had while reading.

Edit: Apparently a group of foxes is called a skulk... which is too perfect to not use As a result, Charlene is going to use "skulk" instead of "motley".

I'm thinking she'd be wary of Solutions, they're just too good to be true from her perspective and thus something to be watched very, very carefully. Another possible conflict between her and Druid Droid's character. I see they might have some interesting discussions so I need to know fairly well where she stands on politics and what her precise ideals are

Re: Waiting for Rain: OOC

Originally Posted by Deadly

I'm looking at the Hollow merit and thinking it fits well with the hunted fox theme I'm kinda going for. Are hollows allowed and are there any special rules or considerations for them in this game? I'm thinking a small, unfurnished cave in the hedge with more than one door (escape routes). Probably 3 dots total, 1 in size, 2 in doors at the start of the game, possibly to be expanded during play maybe. I'm thinking it might be a good group thing, though I suspect she'd be hesitant to reveal it to others.

No problems with that, nor special rules or consideration. You're entirely welcome to it

Academic training sounds like a good idea. Having studied law would be the most obvious, I'm sure, but I need to get a better feel for the character's past to decide this.

Law, criminology, forensics, accounting and psychology are popular law enforcement degrees.

Otherwise, that all sounds solid, interesting and gameable.

Sometimes a Crusade is when the Pope calls every king in Europe to take back the holy land, others it's a mob of delusional children who end up on the slave market.

Re: Waiting for Rain: OOC

Still slogging through the rulebook here. As I said to DD the other day, I'm in the opposite boat as him in that I have a decent picture of my character but just need to figure out how that translates to dots and dashes

Will post up a background on her sometime soon.

EDIT:

Originally Posted by the_druid_droid

Some thoughts from the plane ride:

Spoiler

Show

I think the question of relevance to the mortal world is tied up in the question of means. This is also where I think my character begins to differ from Deadly's, although the hunt is a very important image for us both. After further consideration, I think a more precise statement of the ideal is "to make a world where victimization is impossible". Specifically this happens by changing both the environment and those who would be victims or victimizers. From this I get a couple of things off the bat: the character has got the flavor of activist, his Virtue is Hope, he's a big fan of the ideology behind Solution's work, and he really wouldn't like the economic and social divide growing in the US. Also I would say that he and Deadly's character would get along - they both know what it is to be prey, but in his mind, law-enforcement is doomed to only treat symptoms, which might be an interesting source of conflict.

I'm still not 100% on his flawed ideal but I think it might be the temptation to impatience in wanting to see things change NOW. Additionally, depending on circumstances, he might actually get to a point that's crazy enough to want to target that Fae contract...

Anyway, I'm interested in what everyone thinks.

Glad to have helped DD ^^

An activist character provides good grounds for potential conflict with my one, who generally opposes the idea of directly forcing one's will on another.

I have this inkling that relevance to the mortal world could also be found if you can specify an aspect that is common to both sides of the hedge ... a specific trait or characterisitic that can be applied to both.

E.g. for mine, it's about the idea of power imbalances and the use of those to control others.

For something like the ideal of ending victimisation; it might be the lack of empathy between the hunter and the prey? Maybe if the Fey were not so apathetic to humanity, the hunt would stop, and the same can be applied to victims in the real world.

Or maybe it's about empowering the victims? That if they can be made to show their full potential, those who would prey on them, fey or mundane, would find themselves outmatched.

Re: Waiting for Rain: OOC

Finalised corporate logo for the Solutions company:

Spoiler

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This same symbol comes in a variety of colours for the various branches and agencies. The only uniform for Solutions employees is that they are required to wear a necktie of their division's colour; the rest is up to their personal preference.

Re: Waiting for Rain: OOC

Originally Posted by BlasTech

Still slogging through the rulebook here. As I said to DD the other day, I'm in the opposite boat as him in that I have a decent picture of my character but just need to figure out how that translates to dots and dashes

Will post up a background on her sometime soon.

EDIT:

Glad to have helped DD ^^

An activist character provides good grounds for potential conflict with my one, who generally opposes the idea of directly forcing one's will on another.

I have this inkling that relevance to the mortal world could also be found if you can specify an aspect that is common to both sides of the hedge ... a specific trait or characterisitic that can be applied to both.

E.g. for mine, it's about the idea of power imbalances and the use of those to control others.

For something like the ideal of ending victimisation; it might be the lack of empathy between the hunter and the prey? Maybe if the Fey were not so apathetic to humanity, the hunt would stop, and the same can be applied to victims in the real world.

Or maybe it's about empowering the victims? That if they can be made to show their full potential, those who would prey on them, fey or mundane, would find themselves outmatched.

But maybe that's just needlessly specific.

I definitely appreciate the help! To address your question, the solution depends on the case: it's both about empowering those that would be victims and reforming those that would victimize others.

Also after further thought, I'm pretty sure the flawed ideal involves rushing or forcing change. Still need a name though...

This Machine Surrounds Hate And Forces It To Surrender

Originally Posted by Anarion

DD, your unicorn is stronger, prettier, and higher-ranking than mine, and her secret lab has a better name than mine. THERE SHALL BE NO QUARTER.

Re: Waiting for Rain: OOC

Originally Posted by Thanqol

I can assist with names if you give me five or more seed words. I've got a process

Still working on seed words, this conference is brutal: 10+ talks a day on extremely specialized topics. Lemme put it this way - I have redefined being a science dork in many profound and novel ways, and even I think this is a little much...

This Machine Surrounds Hate And Forces It To Surrender

Originally Posted by Anarion

DD, your unicorn is stronger, prettier, and higher-ranking than mine, and her secret lab has a better name than mine. THERE SHALL BE NO QUARTER.

Re: Waiting for Rain: OOC

Originally Posted by Thanqol

I can assist with names if you give me five or more seed words. I've got a process

Originally Posted by the_druid_droid

Still working on seed words, this conference is brutal: 10+ talks a day on extremely specialized topics. Lemme put it this way - I have redefined being a science dork in many profound and novel ways, and even I think this is a little much...

Ask them to explain everything in pony!!

Anyway, I promised a background info dump, and here I go. I've started having putting down tentative ideas into the stats/virtues/vices etc based off the background information below. All dots are just indicative at this point, and the ones that are just blank are ones where I'm still collecting ideas on what things fit that category.

If anyone can point me towards where some of the more detailled descriptions of attributes/merits and contracts can be found, I'd appreciate it. I don't know if the rulebooks articulate what 2 dots in an attribute means versus 3 dots, for instance.

Also, suggestions on other merits/contracts for consideration are very much appreciated.

Leaving the hedge, it's likely that my character would have introduced herself to the others as "'Belle", due to her imperfect recollection of her life at that time. The full name below, which is also open to suggestions, would be something she puts together later on.

CHARACTER SHEET

Isabelle Keene

AKA Amy Longshore
Female Summer Court Airtouched Elemental“Nobody should have that much power over another.”

Mask: Following her Durance, Amy appears as a young adult girl with long, dirty-blonde hair and light blue eyes. She often wears her hair in a bun or ponytail, but when loose it falls around her head with a light, almost wisplike quality.

Mien: Same as mask, but skin is a few shades lighter grey. The air around her feels dry but also cool, like an summer breeze by the waterside.

Once out of the hedge, she will gravitate towards being an EMT as well as potentially the Summer and Spring courts. She always wanted to be a doctor, but following her durance (and potential subsequent events) the idea of living in a metropolis no longer appeals to her.

Her goals are basically to save people, but never to directly force her will on others. She’ll persuade and she’ll beg, but she draws a line at actively forcing another to conform to her views. An example would be the drug addicts she might have to deal with as an EMT. She’ll cure them, nurse them back to health and then try to persuade them not to relapse, but she won’t lock them up.

That is, unless you push her too far like the Fey.

HISTORY

Spoiler

Show

Amy began her life in 1993 and grew up in a typical wholesome family environment in the city of Seattle. She got along well with her mother, was guarded jealously by her father and had a particularly close and protective relationship with her younger sister Annabelle.

She was taken by the Fae when she was eighteen. While on a camping trip with her family, she went to the aid of a strange, small creature she’d never seen before that ultimately turned out to be one of the Fae. This particular Fae had decided he would be dramatic, and thus spent much of his time enacting scenes that may have been derived from fables or vice versa. Put simply, he did not take kindly to having his moment ruined by a small human girl.

As punishment, the Fae brought her to his realm in Arcadia where, in return for giving the gift of hospitality, the Fae took her body and bound her to the element of air.

From then on, she could only watch and play her part in the Fey’s stories; as the timely gust of air to deflect an arrow aimed at his heart, as the wind that seemed to lift him up when he addressed the common folk or even the breath of life for a fair maiden entombed. For six long years, she only watched …

With no sense of touch or taste, no need to eat or sleep, she began to forget who Amy had been. She was only “wind”, and existed only to perform her role in the play.

She watched as he played the part of victim, saviour, tyrant and hero; the Fey had no consistency in his roles beyond the dramatic nature of narrative. He would slay a monster one day and the next crush a village beneath an iron heel. One day, he brought her along with him to look down on the new city he’d decided to ‘save’.

But he first needed something to save it from.

“Destroy it. Give me a storm to remember.” He ordered.

So she did.

But the order had stirred something within her. The screams of the victims and the sound of their city crumbling awoke it fully. It boiled into her mind in a rising tide of realisation and anger at the acts he had done and was now compelling her to perform.

She gave him his storm.

The rain fell so heavily as to obscure all sight, the winds howled so loudly so as to drown out all sound. And while her Keeper was thus unable to see or command her, she fled. She stole her body back. She escaped into the hedge.

Re: Waiting for Rain: OOC

Originally Posted by BlasTech

If anyone can point me towards where some of the more detailled descriptions of attributes/merits and contracts can be found, I'd appreciate it. I don't know if the rulebooks articulate what 2 dots in an attribute means versus 3 dots, for instance.

If you've got a 4 in anything, you are really, really, really good at that thing. If you've got a 5 in anything you're pretty much the best there is.

Also, suggestions on other merits/contracts for consideration are very much appreciated.

You have Resources 0, meaning you have access to food, shelter, and a bus fare - maybe. You have absolutely no spending money, and can maybe scrounge a few dollars out of your couch in an emergency. That's fine, just be aware of this.

Also, without a dot of Status (Medicine) you are on the absolute bottom rung of the EMT. Your job is to get patients to a real doctor. You can't prescribe things or perform any of the functions of a licensed medical professional - even though four dots in medicine qualifies you to be a heart surgeon. You're overqualified for your position; again, not a problem, just be aware that's what those dots mean.

That said, your massive manipulation+persuasion means that you can probably talk your way into any nightclub and any number of free drinks, and get the real doctors to do what you want them to do. Eight dice is pretty much the most anyone will be rolling without magic.

Finally, you've got to pick out three Specialities - areas of particular focus within a given Skill. This includes things like Medicine (First Aid), Science (Physics), and Intimidation (Veiled Threats). In any circumstance where your Speciality applies, you receive +1 dice.

EDIT: Oh yes, EMTs are usually trained with a dot of Brawl in case of unruly/resisting/mad patients.

Oh yes, and Solutions was founded in 2000 and really hit stride as a global corporation in 2010, so your character would be familiar with it. Nowhere near as large then as it is now.

Otherwise, this is all looking generally good!

Last edited by Thanqol; 2012-01-12 at 01:31 AM.

Sometimes a Crusade is when the Pope calls every king in Europe to take back the holy land, others it's a mob of delusional children who end up on the slave market.

Re: Waiting for Rain: OOC

I hope to have first draft of my character stats/background written sometime today. This game is really screwing with my plans and schedules. Why must character creation be so time consuming?

Also apparently I haven't read the WoD rules well enough, I'm missing a lot of stuff here. Ideals? Word association? Freedom, ..., ? I don't remember seeing anything about that, but I guess I've been focusing my attention on the Changeling book. Nearly done with the first important chapters of that one, at least.

Re: Waiting for Rain: OOC

I hope to have first draft of my character stats/background written sometime today. This game is really screwing with my plans and schedules. Why must character creation be so time consuming?

Also apparently I haven't read the WoD rules well enough, I'm missing a lot of stuff here. Ideals? Word association? Freedom, ..., ? I don't remember seeing anything about that, but I guess I've been focusing my attention on the Changeling book. Nearly done with the first important chapters of that one, at least.

Ideals, word association, and all those things are artefacts of my character creation technique that I posted in the ponythread a while ago and others seem to have adopted. They are not standard, nor required

Last edited by Thanqol; 2012-01-12 at 06:37 AM.

Sometimes a Crusade is when the Pope calls every king in Europe to take back the holy land, others it's a mob of delusional children who end up on the slave market.

Re: Waiting for Rain: OOC

Originally Posted by Thanqol

Ideals, word association, and all those things are artefacts of my character creation process that I posted in the ponythread a while ago and others seem to have adopted. They are not standard, nor required

Ah, that's reassuring :) I never did get to read your posts about that, sadly. Maybe I'll go back and do so once things have calmed down around this game.

Re: Waiting for Rain: OOC

Ah, that's reassuring :) I never did get to read your posts about that, sadly. Maybe I'll go back and do so once things have calmed down around this game.

The short version is:

Figure out the character's Ideal, his true, core belief, the realisation or enlightenment that will bring his entire mind into balance and harmony. Even if the character is not fully aware of his ideal, it can still drive and inspire him.

Then you work out a twisted, limited, short-sighted variation on that called the Flawed Ideal. The character starts with the Flawed Ideal and it poisons everything he does until he figures out it's limitations and can realise the true Ideal. The gulf between the two is the character arc.

Added to this is word spheres; pick five words associated powerfully with the character, then five words from each of those five words. It's a helpful aid to figure out how the character thinks and what's most important to him.

Sometimes a Crusade is when the Pope calls every king in Europe to take back the holy land, others it's a mob of delusional children who end up on the slave market.

Re: Waiting for Rain: OOC

If you've got a 4 in anything, you are really, really, really good at that thing. If you've got a 5 in anything you're pretty much the best there is.

You have Resources 0, meaning you have access to food, shelter, and a bus fare - maybe. You have absolutely no spending money, and can maybe scrounge a few dollars out of your couch in an emergency. That's fine, just be aware of this.

Also, without a dot of Status (Medicine) you are on the absolute bottom rung of the EMT. Your job is to get patients to a real doctor. You can't prescribe things or perform any of the functions of a licensed medical professional - even though four dots in medicine qualifies you to be a heart surgeon. You're overqualified for your position; again, not a problem, just be aware that's what those dots mean.

That said, your massive manipulation+persuasion means that you can probably talk your way into any nightclub and any number of free drinks, and get the real doctors to do what you want them to do. Eight dice is pretty much the most anyone will be rolling without magic.

Finally, you've got to pick out three Specialities - areas of particular focus within a given Skill. This includes things like Medicine (First Aid), Science (Physics), and Intimidation (Veiled Threats). In any circumstance where your Speciality applies, you receive +1 dice.

EDIT: Oh yes, EMTs are usually trained with a dot of Brawl in case of unruly/resisting/mad patients.

Oh yes, and Solutions was founded in 2000 and really hit stride as a global corporation in 2010, so your character would be familiar with it. Nowhere near as large then as it is now.

Otherwise, this is all looking generally good!

Those are some good suggestions thanks Thanqol. Is there a list of specialities around or is it a case of we just nominate some?

Given the above feedback, I think I'll dump the summer and spring merit points and put two into Status (Medicine) and one into Resources. That should befit someone who is quite skilled at her job, but new to the profession given her recent return to society.

Working on court favour and the like can come with play I guess. Plus, having read a bit more, I'm not certain which of summer or spring my character will fit in to, might be that she doesn't quite "fit" with either :P

Spring speaks to her nurturing side, but does not address her feelings regarding the fey and their need to be stood up to. Summer, on the other hand, is unbridled wrath, but seems to apply it more broadly than just against the Fey, which would conflict with her nature. Fun times

Re: Waiting for Rain: OOC

I'm going to need a little more time, it seems. This character is getting interesting. Also I had a bothersome headache all day that just wouldn't go away

Anyway, if the game begins mere hours after escaping the Hedge, I'm not sure how much sense it makes to have things like health insurance and new identities. Not much, right? Since I'm powerfully low on merit dots, I figured such things would more naturally be earned during play than at character creation.

I think there was something else I was thinking to ask, but now it's gone... Maybe it'll return in the morning

Re: Waiting for Rain: OOC

Those are some good suggestions thanks Thanqol. Is there a list of specialities around or is it a case of we just nominate some?

WoD core, in each skill there's a list of recommended specialities. You can also nominate some; the rule of thumb is that a speciality should come up roughly 1/3 of the time you use that skill.

Given the above feedback, I think I'll dump the summer and spring merit points and put two into Status (Medicine) and one into Resources. That should befit someone who is quite skilled at her job, but new to the profession given her recent return to society.

With regards to the EMT division that's a relatively small sub-organisation in the hospitals, so 2 dots would make you the local team leader.

Working on court favour and the like can come with play I guess. Plus, having read a bit more, I'm not certain which of summer or spring my character will fit in to, might be that she doesn't quite "fit" with either :P

I have some very strong ideas for powerful figures in each of the Courts, so you could wait to see which of them has the biggest impact on you!

Originally Posted by Deadly

I'm going to need a little more time, it seems. This character is getting interesting. Also I had a bothersome headache all day that just wouldn't go away

Anyway, if the game begins mere hours after escaping the Hedge, I'm not sure how much sense it makes to have things like health insurance and new identities. Not much, right? Since I'm powerfully low on merit dots, I figured such things would more naturally be earned during play than at character creation.

I think there was something else I was thinking to ask, but now it's gone... Maybe it'll return in the morning

Don't stress; there's plenty of time

Thing is, if you put things like health insurance or resources on your character sheet I'll treat it like a wish list and the things will naturally find their way to the character. A new identity could be a gift from the Prince, or sold to you in exchange for the Arcadian flower stuck in your hair from the trip. You could just get a really well paying job or make a positive impression on a recruiter who makes you an apprentice. Earning these things through play is also valid, but the ones you buy with merit dots you won't have to put much effort into earning.

Sometimes a Crusade is when the Pope calls every king in Europe to take back the holy land, others it's a mob of delusional children who end up on the slave market.

Re: Waiting for Rain: OOC

Don't worry Deadly, I have a lot of work to do on my character too. I am making progress though, and hopefully I'll have some more characterization or even background up by tonight or early tomorrow. No stats though: I don't have the Changeling book with me...though I do have the core.

This Machine Surrounds Hate And Forces It To Surrender

Originally Posted by Anarion

DD, your unicorn is stronger, prettier, and higher-ranking than mine, and her secret lab has a better name than mine. THERE SHALL BE NO QUARTER.

I feel like I have a pretty good handle on the character by now. Before his capture, he was a college student, with a major in one of the social sciences, perhaps with a double in business or something a bit more practical. His passion wasn't school though, in some ways he was searching for a motivation. He dabbled in social justice-type activities but the thing that really got him going was running. Running felt free, easy, and put his mind and body together in one effortless flow. Being passionate is dangerous though, and his passion and skill caught the attention of a Hunter seeking the perfect quarry. He was captured by trickery and turned into a Hart, forever doomed to flee the Hounds. One day though, in the middle of his flight, he came back to himself just enough to remember home and desire a return. His hope of achieving that desire gave him the last push he needed to outstrip the Hunt and find again the hedge and the way home.

Now, back in the mortal world, he knows what it is to be hunted, to be the victim always looking over one's shoulder, and he is convinced that no one should suffer the same fate. His old interest in activism and social reform has finally become a true passion, although it is also driven by an undercurrent of his own fear: if he can make a world without victims, then at last he won't have to be a victim of the Fae. All the same, he truly believes in his cause, even though his mixture of fear and passion often make him impatient in his desire for reform. Interestingly, that same motivating fear has made him brave in other respects - willing to face down hardships, opposition and all sorts of mortal terrors in the course of championing his cause.

This Machine Surrounds Hate And Forces It To Surrender

Originally Posted by Anarion

DD, your unicorn is stronger, prettier, and higher-ranking than mine, and her secret lab has a better name than mine. THERE SHALL BE NO QUARTER.